Only one sign remained at the site of a former Church's Chicken restaurant on W. Shockley Ferry Road in Anderson County on Thursday.

The restaurant was one of 24 across South Carolina and Georgia named in a foreclosure lawsuit filed in Charleston County by a franchise financing company against the store's owners, Charleston-based State Acquisitions LLC.

Like others in Greenville, the store appeared to be shut down.

The Church's Chicken restaurant on Poinsett Highway closed abruptly after being named in a foreclosure lawsuit filed in Charleston County.(Photo: Elizabeth LaFleur/STAFF)

In a statement, a representative for Church's Chicken said several franchised Church's restaurants, operated by State Acquisitions, closed and the company was told the stores closed because the landlord of the property evicted the franchisee.

According to Charleston County court records, Indianapolis-based First Franchise Capital filed a lawsuit in October for breach of contract. First Franchise Capital filed another lawsuit in December for foreclosure.

"Church’s corporate in Atlanta is in contact with the landlord and is attempting to secure new leases so that the locations could be reopened as company-operated Church’s restaurants," the Church's statement said. "We are doing everything in our power to make that happen. The franchisee has told us he plans to pay all of his employees any and all wages owed."

Locations on Poinsett Blvd and S. Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville also abruptly closed. A third Greenville location on Augusta Street was still operating this week.

The Church's Chicken restaurant on Poinsett Highway closed abruptly after being named in a foreclosure lawsuit filed in Charleston County.(Photo: Elizabeth LaFleur/STAFF)

The same representative for Church's said the company could not comment on why the Augusta Street location was still open.

A woman who answered the phone at State Acquisitions LLC said she could not provide information related to the lawsuit or specific locations, but did say she expects the Augusta Street location to continue to operate.

She then transferred the call to a voice mailbox. A message left at that mailbox received no response.